Skip to main content

Heroism

I recently read a story about a young man who saved the life of his wife during the tornado in Joplin, Missouri by covering her as the storm raged overhead. It wasn't the first time an act of heroism occurred in a situation like this. Why do we highlight events like these?

One verse has surfaced in my mind again and again over the past few days. This is Philippians 2:17, which reads, "But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you." This is a reference to Exodus 29:38-41, where God commands the Israelites how they are to offer daily sacrifices, sacrifices which included drink offerings.

How would it feel to be "poured out" for somebody else, to spend your energy, time, money, and other resources for the sake of others? In essence, how would it feel for your perspective to be others-minded?

In fact, there's a fulfillment in it that I don't think we always grasp. Isn't it in our nature to admire those who sacrifice in this way, to admire those like the young man who saved his wife? We want to overcome that selfishness inside us that permeates our hearts so completely, especially when it comes to the welfare of others. There's an inherent beauty in it, almost as though we're becoming something we were originally intended to be.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Heroes

Although we have several examples of heroes in our day, one of the best known is of a woman named Agnes Gonxhe Bojaxhiu (“Gonja Bojaju”), who devoted her life to sustaining the “poor, sick, orphaned, and dying.” Her venue was Calcutta, India, where she served as a teacher until she began to take notice of the poverty there. Seeking to do something about it, she began an organization that consisted of just thirteen members at its inception. Called the “Missionaries of Charity,” the organization would eventually burgeon into well over 5,000 members worldwide, running approximately 600 missions, schools and shelters in 120 countries; and caring for the orphaned, blind, aged, disabled, and poor. As her personal work expanded, she traveled to countries like Lebanon, where she rescued 37 children from a hospital by pressing for peace between Israel and Palestine; to Ethiopia, where she traveled to help the hungry; to Chernobyl, Russia, to assist victims of the nuclear meltdown there; and to
2 comments
Read more

Comparative Medical Care

One thing I'd like to understand is why there is such a difference between medical costs here and those in Haiti. At the time the book Mountains Beyond Mountains was written, in 2003, it often cost $15,000 to $20,000 annually to treat a patient with tuberculosis, while it cost one one-hundredth of that-- $150 to $200-- to treat a patient for the disease in Haiti. Even if the figures aren't completely accurate, the sheer difference would still be there. Indeed, the United States pays more per capita for medical care than any other country on Earth. My first guess for why the disparity exists is that there is a market willing and able to pay more for medical treatment, so suppliers see the demand and respond with higher prices. According to at least one doctor (go to http://scienceblogs.com/denialism/2009/05/what_is_the_cause_of_excess_co.php), part of the reason is administrative prices here. People here have a higher standard of living, and so the cost of care is shifted to
2 comments
Read more

Movie Night

We did it again. My leadership class and I put together another event. We invited the school to watch Dispicable Me . The movie was a hit, so much so that one little girl got up to dance with the main character at the end of the movie. It was a wholesome family night, and on a Monday no less! There were very few issues. It was just a relaxing evening. We're going to use the proceeds to pay for our leadership conference in late March and early April. It should make for a meanigful experience. Signing off...
1 comment
Read more